Rain
by J1998
Summary: On a typical rainy day in Seattle, Edward encounters a beautiful young woman in desperate need of an umbrella. Intrigued by her beauty, he offers up his own before they go on their separate ways. As per their wishes, they meet again. Can rain bring this lonely couple together? A three-shot short story.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello! I don't know if anyone is still following me, but here I am with the promised three-shot story. Keep in mind that this was a writing exercise I did when I was stuck writing** _ **Incest**_ **. I intentionally wrote it to be a three-shot, so there will be no more additions. I'll try to update the next two chapters as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy this fluffy romance!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

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 **Chapter 1**

 **Edward's Point of View**

I ducked under the canopy in front of Starbucks and closed my umbrella. It was pouring cats and dogs out there, but it really wasn't anything new in a place like Seattle.

I shook out the water from my umbrella onto the pavement before actually entering the café. I was surprised to see that the place was completely empty. Starbucks was usually filled with customers, but I supposed people had wisely chosen to stay inside today.

Angela greeted me cheerfully as she always did from behind the counter. "Hi, Edward. It's really pouring out there, huh?"

I smiled ruefully. "It wasn't when I left the hospital. I'm kind of regretting it now, but I desperately needed caffeine."

Angela smiled back sympathetically. She was a kind soul, maternal and warm. "Long shift?"

"I have to go back, actually," I said. "I'm covering for Carlisle this week."

"Oh?" Angela looked curious. "Has your father gone somewhere?"

"My siblings and I sent them on a second honeymoon for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary." I grinned as I remembered my mother Esme's excited shriek. "To Hawaii."

Angela gaped. "Lucky them!" She laughed. "They must be so glad to have such great children."

I chuckled. "You would think we weren't adopted at all. I'll have the usual."

She quickly filled up a grande-sized cup with hot coffee. As I paid, she advised, "You'd better sit this one out for a bit." She nodded toward the windows. "It's really coming down now."

I frowned at the thought of taking a longer break than I had planned, but had to agree. I could barely see anything through the windows. With a resigned sigh, I wandered away to go find a seat.

It was only after I'd sat down that I noticed the place wasn't empty after all. There was a single customer sitting in the corner by a window.

I found myself staring, for I had never seen anyone so beautiful. With a tall-sized cup of coffee on the small table in front of her, she was watching the world outside get splattered violently with the pouring rain.

She was beautiful in a striking way. The calmity of her peaceful, heart-shaped face made me relax unconsciously. She had long, mahogany hair that was carefully arranged over her shoulders. She was wearing a gray felt coat and a silky, blue blouse underneath. I noticed that the blue complemented her pale skin extremely well. She was wearing dark, skinny jeans and, while I would've assumed that most women would've worn heels to complete the sensible outfit, she was wearing a pair of cute, yellow rain boots.

And that was what I liked immediately about her. It was the fact that, though she obviously had a sense of fashion, she chose to wear something necessary rather than to conform to appearance.

She was fascinating to watch. She did nothing – absolutely nothing – and yet, I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about. Was her name suitable for her beauty? Where was she from? How old was she? Where did she work? Why was such a beautiful young woman sitting at Starbucks alone?

Like that, an hour passed.

The rain was slowing down now. She gave a sudden start, as though she'd just noticed the situation outside. She looked relieved. She placed one hand on the side of her coffee cup and sighed. And she kept staring out the window.

I grew frustrated. I wanted to go ask her what she was thinking about, but at the same time, I didn't want to disturb her. She looked so at peace, so unbothered by the battles of life beyond these walls. Just watching her made my own worries about life fly out the window.

I glanced down at my watch and realized that I should return to the hospital soon. Sure enough, my PDA beeped, letting me know that I was needed. Luckily, it didn't seem like an emergency.

Regretfully, I looked over at the young woman who had so successfully captured my attention. I perked up when I saw that she, too, was getting ready to leave. She slipped her purse over her shoulder and took her coffee. I watched as she said goodbye to Angela, whom she seemed to know well.

"You're going to walk back?" Angela asked, her eyes widening. "It's still raining a lot. And didn't you leave your car at the company?"

"That's okay," her lovely friend said. Her voice was soft and gentle, like an angel. "It's only a five-minute walk."

"It's so like you to leave your umbrella at work," Angela said disapprovingly. "Stay here. I'll go get you mine."

Unfortunately, a customer came running inside, brushing off the glistening raindrops on his leather jacket. He blew out a heaving sigh and approached the counter, gazing up at the list of drinks.

The young woman smiled. "It's fine, Ang. See you tomorrow."

Before Angela could protest, her beautiful friend slipped outside and paused under the canopy, hesitating. I found myself moving in response to her action. _I_ certainly wasn't hesitating.

 **Bella's Point of View**

I stared out at the rain, then at the flood of water flowing down the street. Thank God I was wearing rain boots, but Angela was right. I was really out of it. How could I not bring an umbrella when I knew rainy Seattle like I knew the back of my hand?

Mentally, I calculated the distance from Starbucks to the publishing house I worked at. Truthfully, it was only two blocks away, but it was still raining a lot. Thank goodness Rosalie's parents owned the place, or I would be fired for spending too much time on a coffee break. I'd already texted her earlier, informing her that I would be delayed due to the heavy rain. Maybe I should've asked her to come pick me up instead.

I took a deep breath and told myself to suck it up. It was just a little rain. It was water. Besides, I liked the rain. Not.

I was about to step out from under the canopy when I noticed a black umbrella over my head. Startled, I looked to my left.

My breath caught. A gorgeous, sexy man with strange bronze hair stood next to me, holding up the umbrella. He was tall, perhaps around six-two and he was dressed simply in jeans and a light blue dress shirt. I noticed that his hands were really pretty, his fingers long, like a piano player's hands.

But that wasn't what rendered me speechless. He had the most beautiful, captivating

green eyes I'd ever seen in my entire life. They bored into my plain brown ones, as though trying to discover my secrets one by one. They were piercing, yet so full of warmth and tenderness.

And when he spoke, it was a wonder I didn't swoon at the sound of his velvety, musical voice. "Use this."

That broke me out of my internal rambling of awe over this stranger's hotness. I blinked. "I'm sorry?"

The stranger smiled gently, then took my hand. He placed the umbrella handle inside my hand. "I overheard Angela saying that you had to walk. I assumed you didn't have an umbrella. Use mine."

My eyes widened. "Oh, I couldn't..."

"Please." He shot me a crooked smile that should be made illegal. I felt stupid, gawking at him.

"But-"

"Be careful on your way back," he said, glancing out at the rain. "Everything's going to be wet and slippery."

"But I-"

Before I could finish, he was running out into the rain. I stood there, gaping as I watched him slipping inside a silver Volvo. Fancy. He started the car and quickly backed out...and soon, he was out of sight.

Who leaves a stranger with an umbrella when it's pouring rain? Even if he does have a car...and his car was parked far away from Starbucks. Not that I wasn't grateful. He was basically my life saver. I didn't much fancy getting sick for a month.

Slowly, I began walking back to the publishing house. Handsome _and_ a gentleman. What a shame. I didn't even have an opportunity to thank him. And how was I supposed to return the umbrella to him?

He mentioned Angela by her name. She might know him. I could ask her tomorrow. Relieved, I entered the lobby and closed the umbrella. I smiled down at it and thanked the gorgeous man silently for his sacrifice. In exchange for him getting hit by raindrops for thirty seconds, I was able to avoid catching a cold.

Life saver.

 **Edward's Point of View**

I couldn't stop thinking about her. Would she have walked back safely? I'd have dropped her off personally in my car if it hadn't been for that call from the hospital. Regrettably, I'd had to turn my back on her.

She'd seemed to know Angela well, and I was eager to ask her about her friend. I didn't even know her name.

I wanted to go back as soon as possible, but with my father gone, the hospital needed all the doctors they could get. For the rest of the week, I remained busy, entering and reentering the operation rooms, making rounds, and doing tons of paperwork.

Carlisle returned a week later, after spending two weeks in Hawaii with Esme. He'd gotten a nice, light tan and he was practically glowing. I was glad he'd had a nice time, but I was in need of some rest.

"Good work, Edward," Carlisle complimented, patting my back. "I trusted you, of course – I was only able to leave work because I knew you'd be here – but you did better than I thought."

I smiled. "No problem. How was Hawaii?"

Carlisle shook his head. "I don't know why we never took a family vacation to Hawaii, son. It has recently become my opinion that people who live in America must go to Hawaii at least once before they die."

"Duly noted."

He chuckled. "Isn't your shift ending in ten minutes? Go get some rest. You look tired."

I grinned. I knew for a fact that I had dark circles underneath my eyes, for I had only slept about ten hours this past week. Sleep sounded heavenly.

It felt like a normal day for a normal person. It was seven in the evening when I got home. Other than the abnormal fact that I skipped dinner, I went right to sleep and didn't wake up until my usual wake-up time at five in the morning.

I felt refreshed and recovered. I showered and dressed, then decided to stop by Starbucks for a cup of morning coffee. I felt a small jolt of excitement. Would _she_ be there? I dismissed the hope almost instantly. It was only nearing seven-thirty. Too early.

I parked and went inside. Angela was there, as always, happily greeting me. As I understood it, Angela was studying to be an RN. She'd decided on this career path only a few years ago and had gone back to college. She was working full-time at Starbucks to pay for tuition and took night classes to get her associate's.

"The usual?" Angela asked.

"Yes, please." I held out a five-dollar bill.

"Is Carlisle back yet?" she asked. She took it and quickly gave me my change.

"He came back yesterday," I said. "Thank God." I smiled.

She laughed. "You look tired."

"I looked more tired yesterday. This is me after I slept almost twelve hours."

She shook her head. "Am I going to be as tired as you when I become an RN?"

"Depends. You should come work at my hospital with me," I said lightly. "We could be colleagues."

Angela grinned. "I'll think about it. On a different note, I wanted to thank you for lending your umbrella to my friend the other day."

"Oh," I said. "No problem. I was happy to help."

She raised her eyebrow, looking at me knowingly. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

I felt a bit embarrassed. "Is it obvious?"

"That you're into her? Pretty much."

I chuckled. "I mean no harm. I just wanted to help."

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't talk to her," Angela countered. "She was curious about you."

"Was she?" I was intrigued. "What did you tell her?"

She laughed. "This is so weird. You're never interested in girls. I would know."

Yes, she would. I'd only got asked out one too many times here at Starbucks, right in front of Angela herself. She'd always given me hell for declining politely, claiming that I should start dating now that I had a stable, well-paying job. She was right, but that didn't mean I had to force myself to date.

"What was she curious about?"

"She asked me if I knew you. I said I did. She asked me what your name was and what you did."

"Did you tell her?"

"You're cute. No, I didn't tell her a thing."

I was disappointed. "Why? That's quite passive for someone who doesn't seem to have a problem with her friends going out with each other."

"So you're willing to ask her out?" She looked hopeful. "Oh, I really hope you do. She's like you, refusing to date just anyone. It's rare that she actually came in here to ask me about a man."

"Maybe," I allowed. "Are you going to tell me her name?"

She cracked a mischievous grin. "No, I'm not. I gotta give you guys something to talk about when you meet again, haven't I?"

I sighed though I was smiling, and I went to go find a seat. I pulled out my laptop and began looking over some files. Before I knew it, it was nearing lunch time, and I remembered that I'd promised my younger sister Alice that I would eat with her today. I packed up my things, tossed my empty coffee cup into the trash can, and headed for the door.

"Bye, Angela," I called.

"See you later!"

It was drizzling lightly. I gazed out at the skies – it was rather beautiful. I loved the rain, but it had given me something more to love about. A brief encounter with a beautiful woman was bound to remain in my memories.

"Excuse me."

I recognized the voice I'd only heard once. I turned my head to my right, and she was there, looking gloriously beautiful. She was wearing a beige chiffon dress with a ruffle and a floral design. She wore a light pink coat over it and today, she had completed the outfit with white pumps. I could only stare at her dazedly.

She smiled hesitantly at me. "Hi. Um, I met you here the other day..." She trailed off. She was obviously mistaking my dazed look as confusion.

"I know." As if I could forget such a beautiful woman.

"Oh. Sorry. You were just staring at me like you didn't know me, so..." She looked awkward. I found it incredibly cute. "I just wanted to return your umbrella." She reached into her bag and pulled out the neatly wrapped umbrella. She handed it to me.

I took it. "Oh. I hope it was useful."

She smiled. "It really was. Thank you. You saved my life that day."

I raised my eyebrow. "I assume you don't like the rain very much?"

"You assume correctly."

"Are you sure you won't need it today?" I asked. "I could lend it to you again."

She laughed lightly, and I marveled at the sound of it. "I came prepared today. I brought my car, and I have an umbrella with me."

"That's good." I was slightly disappointed. I held out my hand. "Edward Cullen."

She shook my hand firmly, and I was surprised and impressed. "Bella Swan."

Neither of us let go. We stared at each other, which didn't feel awkward or strange at all. A first for me, with a woman. I wondered what she was thinking.

Suddenly, she seemed aware that she was staring and quickly let go. She blushed a lovely shade of red. "Anyway, uh, thanks again."

I felt disappointed. "Of course."

"It was nice to meet you." She moved to go inside.

"The pleasure was all mine." My soft voice lingered, and something made her look back. She looked startled to see whatever was on my expression, and she blushed again. Without another word, she went inside.

I sighed as I looked down at my umbrella. I would love to have that woman in my arms on a dreary day like this, which, in the case of Seattle, would be always.

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 **AN: I hope you enjoyed that! Please review! I want to know what you think. Thanks! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you for all your curiosity and interest in this short story! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **Bella's Point of View**

As I waited in line, I pressed my cold hands to my warm face. It had been a while since I'd blushed because of a man. And so effortlessly he made me blush too! It was mortifying.

I stepped up to order when the man in front of me moved. "Hi, Ang."

Angela had a smug look on her face. "I saw the whole thing. You were blushing like crazy and you didn't let go when you shaked hands. What happened?"

I glanced behind me. Crud. No customer, which means I could pretty much stay here for a while. "Nothing. I mean, I just thanked him for the umbrella and introduced myself. That's it."

"Uh-uh." Angela shook her head. "There was something. He couldn't look away from you."

"Angela," I groaned. "It's your imagination going wild again."

"Just date the man!"

"I'm too busy to be dating. I'm not going to start dating as soon as I get the promotion at work." I smirked when her eyes widened at the news.

"What promotion?" she nearly shrieked.

"Lillian is making me junior editor in her own office cabinet," I said. "It was announced yesterday after lunch."

"Oh, my gosh, Bella, that's huge! Congratulations! Wow!"

"I'm a little worried, though," I said, my brows creasing. "I mean, it's only been five years since I started working at Hale Publishing. People are bound to say that I got the promotion because I'm good friends with the boss's daughter."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" Angela waved aside my comment. "Anyone who's worked with you will know how honest and hardworking you are. Don't even think about that. You deserve that promotion, Bella. You _know_ you worked your ass off."

I grinned sheepishly. "I did, didn't I?"

"Of course you did. Maybe you should've told Edward about your promotion. Knowing him, he would've bought you dinner as a congratulations."

"Angela!" My eyes grew wide. "Of all the jokes to make!"

"What?" She was suppressing her laughter. "That's the kind of guy he is."

"That's just ridiculous," I sniffed.

"I'm not joking, he's so into you. And listen, missy, Edward is not a player. He never dates and he's practically a monk, so it's a rare miracle that he's actually interested in you. I mean, of course he would be – you're beautiful. But still, he has taste."

I blushed at her words. Jeez, it's been a while since I blushed over issues like these. It was so strange. "Stop it, Ang."

"Oh, come on!" she groaned. "You're a nun too! You haven't dated since sophomore year of college! And you're still a virgin!" To her credit, she lowered her voice when she said that last sentence. That didn't mean I wasn't horrified.

"Ang! Please!"

"Okay, I doubt _he's_ a virgin," she said. "He's much too handsome to remain so innocent. Girls must have thrown themselves at him. He's quite the looker, don't you think?"

I sighed. "Yes, he's quite the looker, and maybe I'm a little attracted to him, but that's it. Maybe I'll see him around because he seems to be a regular at this place like I am, but that's it, Ang. Like you said, he's much too handsome to remain single, so he'll probably have a girlfriend within the month. End of discussion."

"Why do you do this to yourself?" She looked furious.

"I'm not doing anything to myself. Now give me my coffee, wench."

Looking bad-tempered, which was rare for Angela, she took my money and gave me my change before turning to the bar to get me my coffee. She turned back and snapped the lid on. "You know what? You're right."

"I'm usually always right," I said, though slightly nervous. Her expression seemed much brighter. "But what about this time?"

"He'll have a girlfriend within the month."

I'd said it myself, but the words were disappointing. "Like I said."

She grinned slyly. "And I'm betting that girlfriend will be you."

I gawked at her. "Angela!"

"I'm serious. If he has the balls to do it – and he definitely does – he'll ask you out soon. You know I never gamble, right? Well, I'm gambling. I'm going to bet a hundred dollars that he asks you out before the month is out."

I narrowed my eyes. "Can I hold you to that?"

"Oh, do please."

We shook hands.

"I don't know why you're so cranky," Angela said. "If I'm right, you get the hottest guy in the world to be your boyfriend, even if you _are_ losing a hundred bucks."

Touché.

 **Edward's Point of View**

I couldn't stop thinking about her. After our encounter, however brief, it was like my brain couldn't function properly. Like I was under her spell.

Bella Swan. What a beautiful, fitting name for a beautiful woman.

I wanted to see her again. From the way Angela talked about her friend, I assumed Bella must be single. I really wanted to change that so she'd be mine.

"Edward!" I was nearly shoved to the ground.

"What the hell?" I cursed. I glanced back to see my brother-in-law Jasper standing there, frowning. "Unnecessary, Jasper."

"Completely necessary," he disagreed. He placed his hands inside the pockets of his lab coat. "You were daydreaming pretty hard. I called your name five times." He nodded toward the nurses behind the nurse's station. "Witnesses."

The head nurse, Abby, a sweet old lady, nodded. "He did, Dr. Cullen."

"So what's got your genius head in a knot, brother?" Jasper asked.

"Nothing," I grumbled. I signed out, since my shift for today ended early – only twelve-thirty – before turning back toward my office.

"That's not nothing on your face," Jasper observed, trailing me. He grinned. "Is this about a girl?"

I looked at him sharply. How the hell did he know that?

"Wait, really?" He grabbed my arm, and we stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Seriously, Edward? You're actually interested in someone? Dude, I thought you were gay!"

My eyes widened as I looked around. "Shh! This is why rumors spread around this hospital! Because my brothers go yapping around like a bunch of gossiping old ladies! Butt out!"

Jasper was laughing as he followed me into my office. He closed the door behind him and watched as I took off my lab coat. "Are you going to go see her now? Is it serious?"

"You don't know anything," I muttered darkly under my breath.

"I know that you have sparkling eyes. And whenever those killer green orbs sparkle like that, there's a woman involved. A good woman. You know how I know? Because I've never seen your eyes sparkle like that, and I've never seen you with a good woman. I could put two and two together."

"Jasper," I groaned. "Shut up."

"Just tell me. Are you going to go see her now? Is it serious?" He peered at my face and correctly interpreted my expression. "Or has nothing happened yet?"

I exhaled sharply and hung up my lab coat. "Yes, I'm going to see her now. And it's the latter."

He nodded. "I thought so. What, are you too chicken to make a move? I wouldn't blame you – it's been almost a decade since you asked someone out, right?"

I scowled. I wouldn't be so annoyed if he was teasing me, but he wasn't. My elder brother Emmett might have been saying that to irk me, but Jasper was being matter-of-fact. And he was being completely serious. That drove me mad.

"I'm not chicken," I said, pulling on my jacket. "I just don't know her well."

"Who knows the girl well when a guy asks her out?" Jasper countered. "No one. You get to know her well when you start dating. So ask her out already. What, is she already taken?"

"No. And I only met her a few days ago, alright?"

"Well, now, this is interesting. Because nothing exciting ever happens in your life except sleep, food, hospital, and Starbucks, you must have met her while doing one of those four things."

I closed my eyes and reopened them, staring at him resignedly. He saw right through me. Was I really that predictable?

Jasper chuckled. "Don't worry," he said, as if he'd read my mind. "It's not that you're so predictable; it's that I pay too much attention to you."

"Go on," I said, gesturing toward him. "Tell me all about the encounter. You probably even know her name."

He laughed. "I would guess Starbucks." He inclined his head. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"That's not very impressive," I grumbled, crossing my arms. "There's a million people who go to Starbucks every day. It's a place where you can meet new people."

"I'll give you that. And now I'm at a loss. How did you meet? In line? Bumped into her accidentally and spilled coffee on her? Vice versa? Did you open the door for her?"

Wow. So many possibilities. And I thought lending her my umbrella was a cliché thing to do.

"None of those things."

"Surprising." Jasper grinned. "I'm listening. You can trust me. I'm not Emmett."

I knew I could trust Jasper. He was my brother-in-law now, but he'd been my best friend since kindergarten.

I sighed. "Later. I promise."

"Dying to see her?" he teased. "Alright. I'm holding you to that."

"Don't you dare tell anyone," I warned as I passed him.

"Scout's honor."

I believed him, not because he was my oldest friend, but because he used to be a Boy Scout.

* * *

 _But Jasper was right, wasn't he?_

I couldn't help thinking how much of a rut my life was in. Same old events happening every day. It had taken his verbal observation for me to notice that. I _was_ bored. I needed change.

The lady in front of me left with her coffee, and I stepped up. "Good afternoon, Angela."

Angela smiled. "Hey, Edward. The usual?"

I paid, and she got my coffee for me. "Thank you."

She suddenly leaned in and whispered, "The corner."

I looked up at her face, startled. She gave me a faint, knowing smile before turning to the next customer. "Hi, what can I get for you today?"

I smiled internally. I took my coffee and walked a few feet toward the corner. Sure enough, Bella was there, typing away on her laptop. She looked preoccupied today, perhaps because of work. I wondered what she did. Would she forgive me if I interrupted her?

 **Bella's Point of View**

 _Stupid email...why won't you just send?_

Something was terribly wrong with my company's email. I'd typed out an entire email complete with five long paragraphs plus my signature, and yet, when I'd clicked send, the site had done nothing but to wipe away the entire thing and not send at all.

In my concentration, my lips were pushed out, and yet, I didn't notice. I needed to get this email out to the authors within thirty minutes. I finished and typed in my name. Before I clicked send, though, I copied the entire email, just in case.

Sure enough, when I clicked send, the stupid thing did the same thing again. Relieved I was smart enough to have copied the whole email, I whipped out my phone and called the best IT guy at our company.

The phone rang and rang, but he never picked up. Annoyed, I tossed my phone onto the table. "Shit!" I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples. Today was a bad, bad day.

"Having a bad day?"

Oh, God, I know that voice. My eyes flew open and I looked up to see his glorious form standing over me. Edward Cullen.

Oh, crap, I just cussed. How long has he been there? Crap, crap, crap...

Edward didn't seem to mind. He was wearing a rather sincere smile on his face. "Do you mind if I join you? All the other seats are taken."

Instinctively, I glanced back at the other seats. What the heck? The place was practically empty, so why didn't he just... _oh_. He was just being smooth. Never mind.

"Sure," I said sheepishly. I could see from his amused expression that he knew exactly what I had been thinking about. Was I that obvious?

He sat down gracefully, placing his coffee on the table. He leaned back comfortably, watching me. I felt incredibly awkward. I hadn't really sat down with a man at Starbucks in ages.

"Something wrong at work?" he asked softly.

My eyes flickered to my laptop. "Yes, in one way or another..." I laugh once, then sigh. "Nothing's working out for me today."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Edward said, frowning. "But you usually don't work here."

I nodded. "I'm working from home this whole week, actually. It's something our company has the option to do...for brief periods of time, at least. If, you know, you have other obligations at home."

"And why did you choose that option this week?" he asked. He looked genuinely curious about what I had to say. "I mean, you're not really at home."

I considered his question. It wasn't really what I expected him to ask. "I just felt like I needed a vacation from the stuffy office." I shrugged. "No special reason."

"Hm," Edward murmured. "Interesting. I wish I had that option. What company do you work for?"

"Hale Publishing."

His eyes lit up with understanding. "You work at a publishing house?"

I nodded. "I'm a junior editor."

"That's quite impressive, for someone so young."

I smiled. "It really doesn't count as impressive, since I sort of got the position through nepotism. My best friend's parents own the company."

"But you strike me as someone who is hardworking and intelligent," he countered. "And honest, too. You wouldn't have accepted the position if you thought you didn't deserve it."

I eyed him, surprised. Am I _really_ that easy to read? "You're right."

"I know I am." He looked pleased, though, to get something right about me. "So do you enjoy your work? You like books?"

"I love books."

"Did you major in English Literature at some prestigious university?" he guessed swiftly.

My eyes widened. "How...you couldn't possibly have known that without me telling you. Did Angela tell you that?"

He smiled. "Angela doesn't tell me anything about you, regrettably. No, just the type of job you have, the fact that you have _Wuthering Heights_ sticking out on top of your bag, and the way you have a Dartmouth sweatshirt on."

I glanced down at my bag, which indeed had my favorite book sticking out, then down at my outfit, which I'd forgotten about. I'd literally just thrown on track pants and my Dartmouth sweatshirt on this morning before walking out the front door. I winced internally at the fact that I was sitting in front of Adonis wearing _this_. Double crap.

I bit my lip. "Observant, Mr. Holmes."

He chuckled. "Oh, very easy."

"On the other hand, I can't seem to tell anything about you," I said, looking him over. He was wearing a white dress shirt today, untucked, with dark blue jeans and red Converse. I would guess him to be in his thirties, though he looked at least twenty-five.

"No, maybe your aptitude lies in literature," he teased lightly.

Was he... _flirting_ with me?

"Maybe," I agreed. "So now you know what I do. Why don't you tell me what you do?"

Edward hesitated for some reason. Was he not going to tell me the truth? Why? "I'm a doctor."

My eyes widened. Unexpected. Was he lying? "I would've guessed teacher."

He laughed out loud. "Unfortunately, no. I'm a general surgeon at the local hospital."

"Huh. Impressive. I've never met a doctor."

"Really?" He looked interested.

"Well..." I blushed. "Not outside of the hospital, at least. I've had plenty of trips to the emergency room, definitely."

"Why?"

"I'm very uncoordinated." I shrugged. "I trip a lot."

Edward chuckled. "I see. Well, what do you think?"

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I can't tell what you're thinking right now. Are you really impressed, or are you just humoring me?" His green eyes burned with curiosity.

I couldn't understand the fascination that he had for me. I was plain as anyone could be, and very boring. Why did he choose to talk to me, when I could clearly see a pretty young woman sitting all the way across the place, glaring at me for snagging the attention of such a hot guy?

"Do I not seem impressed?" I asked, nonplussed. "Because I am."

"Right now, you just seem very confused." He inclined his head. "Why?"

I hesitated. "Before you told me you were a doctor, you hesitated. Why?"

He looked amused now, as though he understood my reaction. He looked relieved too. "You think I'm lying about my job? Why would I lie?"

"That's your job to answer."

He chuckled. "I'm not lying. I hesitated because...well, it was a habitual reaction. I try not to tell women what I do, because then they..." He trailed off, looking for suitable words.

"Throw themselves at you?" I guessed.

He smiled, embarrassed. "Precisely. They'd prefer to know my money rather than me."

"But you told me."

"I did," he agreed softly. "Maybe I feel differently about you."

My eyes grew wide. How very...honest. And flattering. To cover up my shock, I said, "I'm really not surprised, though. You're a catch."

His eyes didn't leave me. "You think so?"

I blushed lightly and looked away. His stare was getting intense. "Yes."

Silence fell between us. Then, he said, "So you believe me now? That I'm a doctor?" He sounded amused again.

"Almost."

Edward laughed, more loudly this time. "Alright, fine. I just came off duty, so I have this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out some card with a clip attached at the back. He handed it to me. "Solid proof."

It was a name tag. There was his picture, his name with the _Dr._ in front. And the name of the local hospital. I handed it back to him. "Good enough."

"Thank you." He put it back in his pocket. "I never thought it'd be this hard to convince someone that I really am a doctor."

I shrugged. "There are a lot of con men in this world."

He gaped at me, amused and shocked at the same time. "Con men?"

I fought back a smile.

He chuckled again. "You're a very amusing young lady. Shall I guess...twenty-five?"

"What, my age?"

He nodded.

"Never ask a woman's age," I warned playfully. "It's dangerous."

He suppressed a smile and waited.

"Twenty-eight. So I'll take your guess as a compliment."

He nodded. "I was close, though."

"You were. Thirty-two?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Lucky guess," he said.

I shook my head, though pleased I'd gotten it right. "Intuition."

He laughed. "Do I really look thirty-two?"

"No," I said simply. "You look at least twenty-five."

"But?"

"But I know better. Con men."

"Ah...so you have an obsession with con men."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, whatever. Shall I guess another thing about you?"

"Please do so."

"Harvard graduate?"

He blinked in surprise. "How did you know that?"

I smiled mischievously. "Intuition."

He shook his head. "No, no. That can't be just intuition. There has to be thousands of medical schools in the world. Tell me how you knew."

"You're very persistent. I was simply being observant and noticed everything written on your name tag."

"Oh..." He chuckled. "I see. Very good."

Just then, my phone vibrated, and I saw the IT guy's name flash on screen. I glanced back at Edward, who said good-naturedly, "Go ahead and take it."

"Thanks. Sorry. Danny, I need your help," I added to the phone.

"What's up, Bella? I was eating lunch."

"I need to send an important email, but the company's email site is refusing to let me. I had to write my email twice, and both times, they were just wiped away. I'm on a deadline here, so if you could fix that in about ten minutes-"

"No need," Danny interrupted. "I'll fix it now. It'll only take a second."

"Really? That would be great."

"Hold on, hold on. Ah, yes, here it is. Someone's toyed with the options. Okay, you're good to go. It should work now."

"Thank you, Danny. You're a life saver. I'll talk to you later, okay?" I hung up and went right to my laptop. "Sorry, this'll just take a minute."

"No worries," Edward said easily, sipping his coffee. He kept staring at me.

I pasted the email back, doublechecked it, then hit send. I breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at the clock on the screen. I made the deadline with seven minutes to spare. Thank God for talented people like Danny.

"Okay, I'm done," I said, closing my laptop. "Sorry about that."

"Done for the _day_?" Edward checked.

I looked at him. "Pretty much."

He smiled a crooked smile that simply took my breath away. "Excellent. Then would you go have lunch with me?"

I blinked, surprised. "What?"

"Unless you've already eaten lunch, in which case we can always change it to dinner," Edward said smoothly. "I'm flexible."

"I'm sorry," I said, confused. "Did you just ask me out?"

He gazed at me, amused. "Do you have any objections with me, Miss Swan? You're free to reject me if you wish, but of course, I'd rather you spent the day with me." His eyes softened. "I'd like to get to know you better."

Oh, my... This hot guy was asking me out. _Me._ He was really straightforward and direct too, so that ignorant little me could understand. And he just looked so hopeful, and I'm more than attracted to him... How could I possibly reject him?

My response wasn't smooth and cool. I mumbled something unintelligent under my breath, "Okay." I'm sure I was tomato red, and that was mortifying.

Somehow he caught the word, or he was just going to force me to have lunch with him either way if I'd said no.

"Let's go, Miss Swan," Edward said lightly. "I'm rather hungry today. I had an early surgery this morning."

I paused in the act of zipping up my laptop in my bag. "If you're tired, you don't have to-"

"I'm not tired, I'm hungry." He took my bag and waited for me to go first. "Ladies first."

I took my coffee and led the way. I caught Angela's smirk though she didn't even say goodbye. I'm pretty sure Edward has forgotten to say goodbye at the moment.

"Where's your car?" Edward asked.

"I didn't bring it today," I said. "I live only about two blocks away, so I walked."

"This works out perfectly, then," he commented. "Come." He led me to his silver Volvo and opened the trunk to put my bag inside. Then, he opened the passenger door for me. "Do you have any preference?"

"To what?" I was rather dazed at the moment from his smoldering green eyes.

"To food." He seemed to notice I was out of it. He shot me a crooked smile. Damn it, my eyes are burning.

"Not really." I slipped inside.

He joined me on the other side and started the car. "Then you don't mind if I pick a place?"

"No."

He glanced at me. "You seem nervous."

"Um..." I glanced out the window at the buildings rushing past. "My mother warned me about getting into cars with strangers."

Edward chuckled. "Well, this stranger has no ill intentions against you. Hopefully, I won't be a stranger by the end of today."

I had to smile at that.

* * *

 **AN: How was it? Cute? I'm going for cute and fluffy. Reviews?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: This one is short. And the last chapter. I have no intention of continuing this short story, so please don't ask. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 **Edward's Point of View**

Bella was amazing. There was no other word for it. She was simply everything I could've asked for. She was funny, intelligent, and incredibly beautiful, especially when she blushed at my compliments or tripped over her own feet.

Time flew by when you had something in your mind for every second of your life, and my thoughts happened to be Bella. She was unlike any other woman I've ever met. I couldn't believe she'd consented to be mine. Before I knew it, three whole months had passed.

It was difficult to make time to spend time with her what with my hospital shifts and her own work. But Jasper had once told me that people always found time to date if they really wanted to. And I'd found that to be true. I had to cut down on the time spent with my family, but once they'd heard that I was actually dating someone, they were completely fine with it. Alice was eager to meet the woman who had captured my heart, and Emmett was constantly teasing me. Even Rosalie, Emmett's wife, whom I did not always get along well with, had grudgingly told me that I looked happy.

And I was. Bella made me happy. Could anyone fall in love so fast? What did it mean if I did? Was that bad? Too rushed? Or was it meant to be?

 **Bella's Point of View**

I was happier than I'd ever remembered myself to be. Edward was simply amazing. It was hard to believe that he'd abstained from any sort of relationship, for he was the best boyfriend a girl could have.

It was difficult to find time to see each other. As a junior editor, my workload increased significantly, and I sometimes found myself working late into the night. As a doctor, Edward was busier than I was, and he sometimes had to go in without warning when an emergency came up.

We'd moved along a bit faster than I would've originally liked. After a couple dates, we'd agreed to take it slowly, but passion had different ideas for us. Within a month, I'd found myself in his bed, naked, and he was making love to me. And it had felt so right.

It was hard, though. I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to feel the other side cold and empty, and I knew that he'd had to go back to the hospital for whatever reason. Sometimes, I got calls from Lillian, stressed from the amount of work, and I had to abandon Edward in bed to rush back to the office. It wasn't just hard for the person left behind – it was harder to leave the person in bed.

But we made it work. We talked through every situation. We promised not to lie to each other. We vowed to support one another.

It was quite amusing and awkward when we found out that my best friend Rosalie was actually Edward's sister-in-law. Rosalie had been comically shocked and horrified, though eventually, she admitted to me that she couldn't think of anyone better who deserved me.

"He and I don't get along sometimes, but he's a good man," she'd said. "And I can see that he really cares about you."

"He really does," I said fervently.

Rosalie had narrowed her eyes. "If he ever hurts you, I don't care if he's my brother-in-law. I'll hurt _him_ where it hurts. I'll make sure he never reproduces."

And I'd scolded her, horrified. But I supposed it was a good thing to have a protective friend around, especially when it came to love.

* * *

Edward and I walked toward Starbucks, holding hands. It was cloudy again, though no hint of rain anywhere. My kind of day.

"No rain today," I said lightly.

He glanced at me, amused. "You know, I loved rain, but I love it even more now because it led me to you. I would think you'd start liking it too, if, you know, you really liked me as much as you say you do."

I laughed. "But if you have a real justification, like I do, it's proper, even if it's because of rain that I met you."

"What's your justification?"

"My coordination."

He laughed. "Okay, you're right."

Edward kept staring at me as we walked, and I let him for about two minutes. Finally, I couldn't stop my laugh. "What?"

"What?" he countered, though smiling my favorite crooked smile. We stopped walking, facing each other.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"What, I can't stare at my own girlfriend?"

"No, you can," I said. "But _why_? Do I have something on my face?"

His expression softened and he reached up to touch my face. "Because I love you."

My smile faded, and I stared at him in shock. It was the first time he'd ever said those words. I felt dizzy, confused.

"I've fallen in love with you, Bella Swan," Edward said softly. "I love you more than I thought possible. You make me so happy that I feel like I'm dreaming."

For a moment, neither of us said anything more. He seemed perfectly relaxed, even as he studied my expression. And I just gaped at him.

"Say it again," I said, my lips barely moving.

He inclined his head slightly. "I love you."

I started grinning. "Say it again."

He exhaled, amused. He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "I love you."

"Again."

"I love you, Bella Swan." He took my hand and kissed the back of it. "Are you going to say again?"

"No," I whispered. "It's my turn this time."

He blinked, his face blanking in surprise. I stepped near him and kissed him lightly. "I love you too, Edward Cullen."

His face broke into my favorite smile, and he pulled me closer. And there, in the middle of the sidewalk with Starbucks a block away, we kissed deeply. It was cheesy and cringe-worthy, but it seemed completely right to us. Love was funny that way.

In the street, someone passing by in a car yelled, "Be happy, yo!"

We broke off, laughing. Edward waved at the guy, and he waved back, grinning widely. I realized it was Emmett. I thought I saw Jasper's figure in the driver's seat, laughing his head off.

I couldn't help thinking how perfect my life had become. I'd gained a wonderful boyfriend, and some new friends through his family. Maybe I can become part of that beautiful family one day too.

Hopefully.

* * *

 **AN: I will be starting school tomorrow, which is why I updated today. This short story may well be the last story I will write for Fanfiction and Twilight for a long time. I may return to it if I have time later on, but right now, I think I'm rather worn out. That doesn't mean I will stop writing – I am currently working on my own novels that have nothing to do with Fanfiction.**

 **Another reason is that I am starting to work on my college applications, which, I admit, is stressing me out a lot more than I thought. I may need to redirect all my writing focus to my college essays. Wish me luck!**

 **Thank you so much for being so encouraging and supportive the past four years. It was a good experience while it lasted, and I'm so grateful to each and every one of you for taking the time to read, favorite, and review my stories. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you all!**

 **Feel free to PM me anytime, if you'd like! I'll still have alerts on my email, and I don't think I'll stop reading Fanfiction. I'll reply to you if you have any questions or need of advice!**

 **Thank you again!**


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